Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-01-06
i SUBSTITUTE MEASURE
THE YoUNG NEWS DEafooRA TIC
CLUR.


upon the report prtsEni Nu i weak ago
looking towards aweeping constitutional
reforms. In lieu Of the report u substi.
tute was presented, which i3given beloR,
and was adopted, uppn motion of l.. q.
Vandegrift, Esq by hbout two thirds
vote. As will be som the substitute
commends and approves a considerable
portion of the Original report and takes
different view OF cegtnin other matters.
The report:
''The Yonng Mems Democratic Clnt,
would endorse the report Of the committee
appointed TO consider whether or not Ger
tain reforms are needed in our State con-
stitution and laws, in 30 far as said report
recommends the passage of atriDge ut laws
for the prevention Of fraud ut cur pri-
mary elections.
'Another subject agitatea during the
last campaign and in which there is a
great deal of interest being taken by the
community at large ~ regard 20 our
present judicial system. The cor1nittee
appointed to consider this subject through
their chairman have reported its favor of
the amendment propof ed il 1883, and
which the handful of obstrnetioniuts 10
the Legislature of 1885 prevented from
becoming a LaIt nf the constitution.
After commencing this amendment to
favorable consideration and setting forth
that fixed term instead of n lie term
would preserve in our judiciary o
healthy respect for the rights of members
of the bar and of gultors in the courts,
they close their remarks upon thia sub
,ject by saying in effect that we had better
let IL alone and refer the whole matter to
the bar.
"With this position this club cannot
agree. II there is any one department of
our State government in which the people
are interested more than in another, it is
the Judicial system. Can you touch a
man and citizen closer than when you
pass upon his rights. and upon questions
affecting his life, liberty and property ?
Therefore it is, that every citizen Of this
commonw wealth should, in this repub-
lican form of government, have voice
in any change contemplated in the judi
cial system, There have been numerous
suggestions as to the mode of improving
the Judiciary, but always have our people
held on to the present system with q
tenacity unparalleled.
"This fact in itself should cause us to
pause and consider before we attack it.
g What is known as the 'one Judge
system has been the one proposed most
frequently, and as frequently has it been
voted down. For, as will be remembered,
the Hon. John III. Clayton, III the con-
vention Of 1881, cited two instances pre-.
viors TO that time when changes had
been proposed and rejected. It was also
proposed and rejected by the convention
OF 1881. Again, this one-judge system
WIS carried through tha convention of
1852, but when it came to be voted upon
by the people it was defeated by an over
whalming majority. We all know lis fate
when it came up again, only in our last
Legislature, If a one judge sys elu is to
prevail it is q question for grave consid
Grafton whether the separate equity iuris.
diction now in foroe should not be
abandoned and all questions of lRw and
equity be brought before common tFi-
bunAl, as is now the case in Pennsylvanin
and many Of the larger states. This
would give US an unex6eptionable court
OF errors and appeals Another mode
suggested for improving the judicial sys-
TEN is TO allow all our courts to remain
as they ARE aud to appoint another resi-
dsnt judge for this county, who shall
have concurrent Jurisdiction with the
superior court and have q seat in the
court Of errors and appeals. This looks
like the most feasible scheme yet pro.
posed, because it gives relief to this
county the onlyplace where complaint is
heard, and at the Rane time mikes a
stronger court of errors and appeals. As
matter OF fact the only serions defect
in our Judicial system is in the compost
tion of the court of errors and appeals
and the adoption of this last suggestion
would gofartowards correcting this defect.
The imputation made by the committee
that our present judges have not n
healthy respect for the rights of members
of the bar and Of Euitors in the courts
cannot bs endorsed by this club, because
we cannot in justice TO them and 80 our
selves, allow the impression to go abroad
that they are other than the honorable,
courteous and learned jurists, we know
them to be. This club endorses
the suggestion of tho committee that
the Legislature make provision for retiring
judges on adequate salaries after they
have attained a certain age. So far as
the recommendation of the committee for
district representation goes, this club
feels considering the gerrymandering"
carried on in certain Republican states
and the 'shoe.string' districts, more
crooked than the tail of snake with
which many of them are disgraced, that
it would be we'll to take no hasty steps in
this direction. 1t would seem better if
committee were appointed to investigate
the advantages of what is known gs the
cumulative" system of voting, aud re-
port upon that to this organization.
II it is what it seems to be il would
enable this State to escape the evils of
districts laid out for partisan purposes,
and at the same time give what is much
needed in our governing bodies, minority
representation.
"We next come to that question of
overshadowing Importance, Increased re-
presentation for New Castle county, The
committee have reported that probably
concession might be made in favor of this
city by increasing her representation iu
the General Assembly TO two senators and
four representatives and that this increase
should be accepted The report tht a
goes on to condemn rural New Castle
county for not giving Wilmington more
representation, in style hardly befittinp
a committee made up of New Castle
county men.
This club now protests and nj wavs
will protest against receiving this increase
Us a concession. 1t is thing which the PEG
pie of this county demand as an Inherent
right and we will not accept il Us con.
cession.' We endorse the comnittee's re-
port SO far as it recommends an increase
in our representation but we now want.
in view OF orr largely increased population
giatne 1ASE khara a.at L. 4.
the Grubb amendment from which the
committees report, as to the increase
fixed upon, was apparently borrowed.
As to the committees inundoes against
the unfaitness of the rest of
miDgton we wish to soy that if some
sections of our county must be- inade-
quately represented II shnuld be the most
densely populated part, because repre-
sentative i'll this city is within the reach
OF and can coDmunicate with thousand
of his constituents with more ease than n
country member could ahundred of those
he represents, We do not think that as
Democrats and Delawareans we can adopt
that part Of our committee's report which
says that we trust and believe that such
constitution could not now obtain tie
ratification of the people. Let us as an
organization trust and believe that we
will always be blessed with constitution
which will bring IA much happiness and
prosperityto our State and contentment to
our people as has the constitution of 1881.
SIT has become too common for the
thoughtless to inveigh against that
constitution under which We have
lived SO prosperously for more
than half a century. It is in many
of its provisions coeval with our Federal
constitution, and as well might we cry